Woman nearing ‘breakdown’ waiting 21 months for repairs claims housing association breached three contracts

A woman who has waited 21 months for repairs on her house to finish claims her housing association has breached three contracts after missing multiple deadlines.

Marcia Francis, 62, lives in a L&Q property in Lowden Road, Herne Hill. She said that the conditions she has been forced to live in for nearly two years has taken a toll on her mental health.

Ms Francis said: “I’m in therapy, I feel like I’m nearly at a breakdown. I have eight grandkids and a great granddaughter coming in and out, I can’t have the house in this state.”

In November 2021, Ms Francis got in contact with a solicitor about the conditions her property was in. 

The solicitor organised a surveyor to assess the property who found asbestos under the floor in the kitchen and damp in the walls.

An agreement was made with the landlord on April 19, 2022, for improvements to be made within 90 days.

When the deadline was missed another contract was written up on October 14, 2022, for improvements to be made in 56 days. This deadline was missed as well as the most recent deadline on July 4.

Then, two weeks ago, a leak broke out into one of the bedrooms.

Ms Francis said: “It was the room my grandkids stay in sometimes, and there’s water coming through the ceiling.

“When people came to fix it they said the roof hadn’t even been filled in properly. They fitted scaffolding and this plank to block the leak and said they would be back to sort it.

“The next day at 7am in the morning the plank fell out, flooding upstairs and downstairs. Contractors have been working on the property for 21 months and they can’t get it right.”

Last Friday, Ms Francis said she was called by one of the builders who was working on the kitchen floor. 

 

Video showing the wet silicone covering the whole of Ms Francis’ floor, she said she was told to not come home for seven hours to let it dry (Video: Marcia Francis)

She said: “He told me he needed to redo the floor so I wouldn’t be able to be in the house for seven hours.

“He told me I should have been put into temporary accommodation. Where am I meant to go at such short notice?

“My daughter’s house is in disrepair so she’s sleeping on her floor and I don’t have any other family. So I just went home and had to walk on the silicone he had just put down.”

David Lewis, Executive Group Director of Property Services at L&Q said: “We are sorry that Ms Francis has had an unpleasant experience with her L&Q home. 

“We have committed to putting things right and we have been working with partners and contractors to fix all existing issues. 

“We have embarked upon a comprehensive programme of repairs a while ago, however we still need to reach an agreement with Ms Francis in order to proceed with works. 

“Once there is a clear understanding of each party’s responsibilities, we should be able to continue with our planned repairs.”

Pictured top: Marcia Francis and wet silicone on the floor of her house (Picture: Marcia Francis)